Addiction-A Bitter Thing-A GB story
by BlueMoon4657
Summary: A sequel to "It's All My Fault". When Ray begins to act aggressive, the guys find out that he has become addicted to pain pills. The guys will have to do everything in order to help him withdraw from them. But when another team member becomes a little distance, the others begin wonder: is there more to this situation than meets the eye?
1. The Mystery

Chapter 1-The Mystery

It was a warm, sunny day in New York. The Ghostbusters were trying to bust a couple of valkyries at a theatre. But it was hard since valkyries could shriek loudly. VERY loudly.

"AAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" one of the valkyries shrieked. The guys quickly covered their ears.

"Damn, that's loud!" Dr. Peter Venkman exclaimed.

"Yes, but we got to trap it man!" Winston Zeddemore shouted.

"Another valkyrie at 12:00!" Dr. Ray Stantz yelled.

"I got 2:15 pm!" Peter shouted back looking at his watch.

"Not that time Peter!" Dr. Egon Spengler yelled in frustration, "Ray meant the direction 12:00!"

"Oh, well why didn't he say so?!" Peter yelled back.

Egon rolled his eyes at his colleague. Peter was not exactly the smartest person in the world. After about half an hour of screeching valkyries, they were finally caught.

"That was quite a chore now was it?" Winston asked.

"What?" Peter asked.

"Winston said that was quite a chore now was it." Ray replied.

"What?" Peter asked again.

"I think Peter's ears are ringing from all the screeching." Egon said.

"I can't hear you guys! My ears are ringing from those stupid valkyries' wailing!" Peter exclaimed.

"Exactly." Egon said as he and Ray snickered a little.

* * *

After making sure there were no more wailing valkyries, which there weren't, thank goodness, the manager then paid the four for their services, and they headed back to the firehall. The ringing in Peter's ears stopped, but he was staring to get a massive headache.

"Oh man. I got a massive headache." Peter said while rubbing his forehead.

"There's some aspirin back at the firehall you can take Pete." Winston said.

"I've got something Peter can take now." Ray said as he reached into is jumpsuit pocket and pulled out a pill bottle, "Try one of these Peter. They work pretty good."

"What are these?" Peter asked.

"Some pain pills I take when I need them." Ray replied.

"When did you get them?" Egon asked.

"After my accident." Ray replied. The accident he was talking about was a few months ago when Ray got stuck in a building fire. The fire caused a couple of burns across his body, a twisted ankle, a slight concussion, and caused Ray to suffer smoke inhalation. And Egon had blamed himself for the accident, and he secretly still did, but the guys didn't know.

"Ray, your accident was about 4 months ago. Are you still in pain?" Winston asked

"It comes and goes." Ray replied shrugging his shoulders, "Normally when the weather is overcast and cloudy like today. And right now, my ankle and head are killing me a little."

"Thanks for the offer, but I'll take the aspirin when we get back." Peter said handing the pill bottle back to Ray.

* * *

After getting back to the firehall, Peter went to go take the aspirin, but not before giving Winston a hand with the packs, while Ray and Egon took the ghosts down to the containment unit.

As they took care of the traps, Egon asked Ray: "Ray, how many of those pills do you actually take."

"Like I said, I only take them when I need them." Ray said sounding a little agitated.

"How many bottles of them do you have?" Egon asked.

"What's with the third degree questioning?!" Ray snapped.

"Ray, I know Dr. Madison gave you pills for the pain after your were released from the hospital, but that was about 4 months ago since the accident." Egon said, trying to remain calm as well, "Plus, I highly doubt Dr. Maadison gave you multiple prescriptions."

"Egon, I had a few first-degree burns, one second-degree, a twisted ankle, a minor concussion, and I had smoke inhalation, and a bunch of bruises. And I was out for 2 days!" Ray said almost yelling, "I'm still in pain and I'm most likely going to be in pain for the rest of my life!"

Ok, ok, I'm sorry Ray." Egon said, trying to get Ray to calm down, as well as himself, "I shouldn't have gotten up in your business. I'm just concerned for you that's all."

Ray had calmed down and said: "It's fine Spengs. I appreciate you, Peter, and Winston for looking out for me, but I'm a grown man, and I can take care of myself."

"Ok then." Egon said. Once the lat trap had been emptied, Ray headed upstairs, but Egon remained downstairs. He thought about what Ray had said about the pills. Even though he was bad at reading people and their emotions, Egon could actually tell when someone was lying. And the conversation hadn't been very honest.

Egon decided he was gonna get to the bottom of the situation.

To be continued...


	2. Behavior Changes

Chapter 2- Behavior Changes

Egon then heard his name being called, so he went upstairs. Ray had gone upstairs to use the bathroom and do some laundry. Meanwhile, Egon met up with Peter and Winston to talk about what happened in the basement. Kylie Griffin and Jenny Moran, Ray's girlfriend, also met up as well.

"I'm telling you, Ray doesn't seem like himself. He completely snapped at me when I asked him about the pills." Egon said, "And listen, I know I'm very bad at reading emotions, but I can tell when someone's lying. And it sounded like Ray was lying."

"So, what do you want me to pull his ears?" Peter asked, "That usually works to get him to tell the truth."

"No Peter. That's probably gonna make him go ballistic." Jenny said.

"Yeah Pete. And I don't want to know who's bad side is scarier: Ray's or Egon's." Winston said.

"What about mine? I have a pretty scary bad side too." said a female voice.

They all turned around and saw Janine Melnitz walk in, holding a paper bag.

"Hi everyone. I'm back. And I got the sandwiches y'all wanted." Janine said.

"Hey thanks." Kylie said as she and the others met up at Janine's desk.

"Here's a B.L.T with provolone for you Jenny, a turkey and cheddar sandwich for you Winston, a turkey with lettuce, onion, and tomato for you Egon, an egg salad sandwich for you Peter, and a tuna salad sandwich for you Kylie." Janine said as she handed everyone their sandwiches before getting out her own.

"Hey, where's Ray?" Janine asked, "I got him a ham and cheese sandwich with extra tomatoes for him."

"Coming." Ray called as he walked downstairs with a basket of laundry in his hands.

"Janine got your sandwich for you." Egon said.

Ray set his laundry basket down, and Janine handed him his sandwich.

"Thanks." Ray said, "And about time, I'm starving."

Ray ripped the paper from the sandwich and bit into it. But then he noticed something.

"Janine, there's no mayo on here! You know I always get mayo on my sandwiches!' Ray snapped.

"Ray, I know that. The sandwich shop must've made a mistake. and I'm sorry." Janine said who was a little hurt by Ray's tone of voice.

"Ray, I'm sure it was accident on the shop's part." Winston said.

"Janine knows all orders by heart, so I think you owe her an apology." said Peter.

Jenny was a bit shocked at the way Ray was acting. Normally, Egon was the one that snapped a lot, but he usually did that when he was mad, agitated, or annoyed.

"What is today. Gang up on Me day?" Ray snapped.

"No. And you need to calm down." Egon said. It sounded like he was getting annoyed.

The others got worried. Ray and Egon usually never fought with each other, and a fight between could probably get really ugly.

"I need to calm down?! You're the one who can't control your temper!" Ray yelled.

Egon was a bit taken back at Ray's insult, but he didn't show it.

"Screw this!" Ray yelled as he walked out of the firehall.

"What was that all about?" Kylie asked.

"Ladies, we think Ray maybe addicted to his pain pills." Egon said.

"The ones he got after the fire during that bust?" Jenny asked.

"Yep." Peter said.

"How long ago was the fire?" Janine asked.

"At least several months ago, which means Ray should've been off the pills a month ago." Winston replied.

"So where exactly is he getting the pills from?" Jenny asked.

"We don't know." Peter replied.

All of a sudden, Egon realized something. HE was the reason Ray might be addicted to pain pills. During the building fire, he had gotten stuck and Ray came to save him, only to get himself stuck. Egon had blamed himself for the accident, and he still did secretly. And Ray was taking the pills after the accident.

"I, uh...I have to...I'll be right back." Egon said as he rushed upstairs.

The others were puzzled at Egon's behavior. Upstairs, Egon was in the lab. He couldn't believe it. He was the reason Ray was addicted to pain pills. Ray had ended up in the hospital because of him. Egon felt the guilt he had wished to forget.

 _"What have I done?"_ Egon asked as he teared up, _"What have I done?"_

To be continued...


	3. The Discovery

Chapter 3-The Discovery

Meanwhile, the others begin to talk about how they had noticed changes Ray's behavior and appearance. They each took note of what Ray had also been saying to them, and that the tone he had been speaking in was not like Ray.

"I can't believe how much he's changed." Jenny said.

"Nor can we." Peter says.

"But we need to find out how many bottle of that stuff Dr. Stantz has." Kylie says.

"What are y'all talking about?" Egon asks as he walks down the stairs.

"We were just talking about the changes we noticed in Ray's appearance and behavior." Peter said.

"Yeah, we were also just talking about on what to do." Winston said, "Egon? Can you call Dr. Madison and let him know what's going on? Peter, can you, Jenny, and Janine check Ray's drawers and see how much of the pills Ray has? And Kylie and I will go to one of the health clinics and pick some booklets on addictions."

"Winston, are you sure snooping in Ray's stuff is a good idea?" Jenny asked.

"Just do it Jenny. For Ray." Peter persisted.

"Ok, ok." Jenny said.

"What happens if Dr. Stantz comes back?" Kylie asked.

"Don't worry. I know how to distract him." Egon said with a smile.

"Ok, good. Let's do it." Janine said.

* * *

A few minutes later, Winston and Kylie had gone to the health clinic, Egon was on the phone with Dr. Madison, and Peter, Janine, and Jenny were upstairs in the bedroom.

"I really don't want to do this. Ray's my boyfriend." Jenny said.

"Nor do I." Janine said.

"Nor do I, but we got to do for Ray's sake." Peter said.

The 3 then made their way over to the nightstand over by Ray's bed. Peter opened the top drawer, and he couldn't believe his eyes when he saw the inside.

"Oh God dammit." Peter said.

"What is it?" Jenny asked.

"Take a look at this." Peter said.

Janine and Jenny peered into the drawer along with Peter and saw close to a dozen prescription pill bottles.

"Oh Good Lord." Janine said.

Peter picked up each of the bottles and looked to see where they came from.

"They're all from Dr. Madison." Peter said.

He then put the bottles back carefully so Ray wouldn't notice anything. Jenny then noticed a second drawer in the nightstand. She carefully opened it, only to find the exact same amount of pill bottles as the first drawer.

"Oh God." Jenny said.

"C'mon, let's go tell Egon what we found." Peter said, "And Winston and the kid if they're back."

Jenny then carefully closed the drawer, and the 3 made their way downstairs.

* * *

Meanwhile downstairs, Egon was on the phone with Dr. Madison and was telling him the changes in Ray's appearance and behavior. Peter, Jenny, and Janine then told Egon about the numerous pill bottles they had found upstairs. A few minutes later, Winston and Kylie walked in.

"We have a job?" Winston asked.

"No, I just had a long conversation with Dr. Madison." Egon replied.

"Winston, Ray's got a serious problem." Peter said, "Turns out, he's got drawers full of that stuff."

"And Dr. Madison said that he did give Ray a 2 month supply, but he didn't give Ray any approval to get his pills refilled." said Egon.

"Oh God.." Jenny muttered under her breath. Janine then put her hand on Jenny's shoulder to comfort her.

"I can't believe Dr. Stantz would do that." Kylie said.

"And even more unfortunate, according to the booklets Kylie and I got at the health clinic and what the physician told us, this is a very typical case." Winston said.

Hearing this news made Egon's heart hurt. He couldn't believe what he had done to his best friend. It was enough to make him cry. He had caused Ray to get stuck in a burning building and be out for 2 days. And now Ray had an addiction to pain pills to cure the pain from the injuries Egon thought he had caused.

"We got to get Ray off these things now!" Janine exclaimed.

"We can't." Egon said, "Dr. Madison said that Ray has gotten used to the amount of medication he takes, as well as a routine of taking them. Withdrawing from the pills all together would be too much for him to handle."

"And it also depends on how far the person's gone and if they've had a history with drugs or alcohol, or anything like that according to the booklet." Winston added.

"We need to help Ray the best we can. Besides, he's my boyfriend. I'm sure he doesn't mean it." Jenny said.

"Yes, I agree on that, but we've got to do it without coming on too strong." Peter said.

"He's like a time bomb that could go off unexpectedly." Kylie said, "I just hope he doesn't go ballistic like Dr. Spengler does sometimes."

Hearing that kinda made Egon feel hurt, but he thought, _"Why not pile it on? I've already hurt Ray enough, why not pile it on?"_ Egon thought sarcastically.

"Spengs, you ok?" Peter asked.

Egon didn't respond as he was deep in thought.

"Egon, you ok?" Winston asked.

Egon then snapped out of his thoughts. "Huh..?" he asked.

"Are you ok, Egon?" Janine asked, "You seemed a little zoned out for a second."

"I'm fine, don't worry." Egon said hastily.

The others looked at each other and figured something else was going on since Egon was acting a little strangely. But before they could ask what was bothering Egon, the door to the firehall opened, and Ray walked in.

"Hi guys." Ray said with his usual cheery tone.

The others snapped out of their worry state and tried to act natural.

"Hey Ray, how ya feeling?" Janine asked.

"A lot better." Ray replied, "That walk through Central Park was just what I needed to calm down. And hey, sorry for snapping at all of you. And I'm sorry Egon for telling you to calm down."

"It's ok." Egon replied, "Thank goodness you didn't make me go ballistic."

"Oh yeah!" Ray exclaimed happily, "That's the last I need right now."

"And your apology is accepted." Jenny said walking up to him.

"Thanks Jenny." Ray said as he kissed his girlfriend on the forehead.

"Awww.." Peter said tauntingly.

"Peter, I swear, sing the song, and I will kill you." Jenny said.

"Ok, ok." Peter said.

Even though Egon was happy Ray was in a happier mood, he still felt guilty about the pain he had put him through. But he did his best to act natural so the guys wouldn't stick their noses in his business. Everyone was happy that Ray was in a happier mood.

Unfortunately, that happiness would not last forever...

To be continued...


	4. A Fight

Chapter 4-A Fight

The clock then chimed, signaling that it was 5:00. The Ghostbusters had all been talking and laughing that they had lost track of time

"I better go get ready for my date with Dana." Peter said as he rushed upstairs, "I don't want to keep her waiting."

"No, you don't." Jenny said jokingly, "It's not nice to keep a lady waiting for her date, right Ray?"

"Of course, it's terribly impolite." Ray replied with a laugh.

"Agreed." Janine said.

"Hey Ray, you and Jenny want to come?" Peter called from upstairs.

"No thank, we're good." Ray called back.

"Hello, anyone home?" asked a female voice.

The other turned around to see Dana Barrett walking with her now 7 year old son Oscar. Dana was already ready for the date as she was dressed up nice.

"Hi Dana." Winston said.

"Hi Winston." Oscar said.

"Hey Oscar, how ya doing little buddy?" Winston asked.

"I'm good Winston." Oscar replied, "Hi Egon, Ray, Jenny, Kylie, Janine."

"Hi Oscar." they all replied.

"Peter's getting ready upstairs, but I thought he was picking you up at your place." Janine said.

"Actually, we got a problem. Kristy, Oscar baby-sitter, called saying her brother is sick, and she has to look after him." Dana explained, "Can you guys watch Oscar?"

"Of course." Egon replied, "Oscar's always welcome here."

"Thanks Egon." Oscar said. Egon then picked him up as Oscar liked being picked up.

"Egon, I'm surprised you can even pick him up." Peter said as he came down the stairs.

"Of course I can Peter." Egon replied, "It's called I work out and not complain about it like you."

Ray, Winston, Jenny, Janine, and Kylie snickered as Peter pouted.

"The guys are gonna watch Oscar tonight." Dana explained.

"Ok, just don't do anything dangerous, ok guys?" Peter said.

"Peter, we're responsible enough, most of the time." Egon said.

"Yeah, I thought so." Peter said. He got out his wallet and pulled a $10 bill and said: "Ray, do you have any change you can spare?"

"Or course, I'll go get it." Ray replied as he went upstairs.

Ray went into the bedroom and over to his nightstand to grab some change for Peter. he opened the drawer and was about to grab a few coins when he noticed something about the contents in the drawer.

A shade of red began to form in the enraged Ghostbuster's eyes.

* * *

Downstairs, Dana had told Oscar to be a good boy and behave for the guys. But Oscar knew how to behave, and besides, he loved the guys. He thought they were awesome, which Peter took as praise.

"Here's a list of emergency numbers, including Oscar's doctor." Dana said, "Also the number of the restaurant where we'll be eating dinner, and the number of theatre where the play will be."

Dana then turned to Peter and asked, "By the way, you do have the tickets, right?"

"Yep." Peter replied as he took out two small tickets.

"What the heck guys?!" Ray shouted as he came down the stairs.

"What's up Ray?" Peter asked.

"You know very well Peter!" Ray growled.

"Ray, what is it?" Jenny asked.

"One of you idiots went through my stuff!" Ray yelled.

"Ray, watch your tone and language in front of Oscar." Janine said, "And second, what are you talking about?"

"First off, I can say what I want. And second, somebody went through my drawers and touched my stuff!" Ray yelled.

Oscar backed up as he was not used to seeing Ray so mad. Usually, it was Egon who was that angry, if he was mad enough, but not Ray.

"Ray, calm down!" Egon snapped. It was obvious that he was getting agitated.

"Calm down? Me?! You're the one who's getting mad over nothing!" Ray yelled.

"I'm getting mad cause you're getting mad at everyone else, you idiot!" Egon shouted back.

"Oh so I'm the idiot?!" Ray asked.

"Yes, yes you are!" Egon snapped back. Then, Ray and Egon began yelling at each other.

The others were shocked. Never before had Ray and Egon fought. It was shocking to see the 2 Ghostbusters, who usually got along and agreed with each other, at each other's throats and yelling at each other.

"I never thought I'd see the day where Ray and Egon would fight." Peter said.

"Me too." Kylie said.

But then, the insults that Ray and Egon were throwing at each other were getting very personal.

"Well, no wonder your family disowned you!" Ray shouted, "You're just a no emotion scientist who can't do anything right!"

Everyone gasped. Never before had Ray EVER said something so insulting and personal to one of his colleagues.

Rage boiled inside Egon. He was so angry that everything he saw was red. He couldn't control it any longer. He lunged at Ray, grabbed his neck, knocked him to the ground, and began to choke him.

"TAKE IT BACK!" Egon yelled with rage.

"Egon stop!" Peter yelled. But Egon was so angry, he didn't even care anymore. Ray's eyes were full of terror as he looked into his enraged friend's icy, piercing blue eyes that were so full of rage. Ray tried to get Egon off him, but Egon was stronger than him.

"Egon!" Winston yelled, "STOP!"

All of a sudden, Egon's rage vanished as he realized what he was doing. He looked down in horror to only find his hands around Ray's neck, and Ray was choking.

Egon quickly freed his hands from Ray's neck and stood up. He was in shock. He couldn't believe he had just gone ballistic and tried to strangle and kill Ray. Egon turned and saw the others looking at him with looks of shock. He then looked at Ray, who backed up from him.

Egon couldn't believe he had almost killed Ray again. Suddenly, of the pain, horror, and remorse was too much for him to handle. Egon ran past the guys and ran out the door with tears streaming down his face.

"Egon, wait!" Janine called. But Egon was gone.

Ray was still on the ground and trying to get his breath back.

"Ray, are you ok?" Jenny asked.

"No thanks to you!" Ray snapped.

Jenny was a bit taken back at what Ray said to her as he had never snapped at her.

"Screw this!" Ray yelled as he ran upstairs. The door to the bedroom then slammed.

Dana and Oscar were in shock at what just happened, and Dana then asked: "What happened to Ray and Egon?"

To be continued...


	5. Uncertainty

Chapter 5-Uncertainty

Though the fight between Ray and Egon had ended, the mood was still very tense. Peter was talking with Oscar, while Winston, Janine, Jenny, and Kylie explained to Dana about Ray and his addiction for pain pills.

"Guys, Ray's like a completely different person." Dana said.

"It's Ray, but at the same time, it's not him." Peter said.

"Well, what happened with Egon? I don't think I've ever seen him that angry." Dana said.

"Nothing, probably Ray just yelling at us for no reason is probably what riled him up." Jenny said.

"But now that you mention it Dana, Egon has been acting a little weird all day." Janine said.

"Yeah, he's been a little more distant and a bit quieter." Winston said, "But we didn't think it was that big of a deal."

"But Dr. Spengler has never gone ballistic on one of us before." Kylie pointed out.

"Yeah, not to mention Ray and Egon have never fought before. And Ray's never said anything so personal." Jenny said.

"Will Ray and Egon be ok?" Oscar asked.

"Of course they will, Oscar." Peter replied.

"Hey Peter, after what happened, I don't really feel like going out anymore." Dana said, "Do you mind if me and Oscar call it a night?"

"Yeah, it's ok." Peter said.

"And I sure hope Egon comes back cause we don't want him out there on the streets all night." Winston said.

"I just can't believe Ray yelled at me." Jenny said. Her eyes began tearing up.

"It's ok Jenny." Janine said rubbing her shoulder, "Ray will come around, I hope."

"Ok, fellas, good night." Dana said.

"Night guys." Oscar said.

"Night Dana, night Oscar." Peter said.

After Dana and Oscar left, the 2 Ghostbuster and the women sighed. They were all at a lost of what to do for their 2 other Ghostbusters.

* * *

Meanwhile, Egon was walking through the alleyways behind buildings so no one would see him. He thought about what he had done to Ray. He had strangled him and almost killed him. It was something he regretted doing.

 _"The guys were wrong."_ Egon thought in his head, _"I am a mistake after all. I almost killed Ray 3 times, and I've hurt him. And Ray was right, I can't do anything right."_

The young, distraught Ghostbuster was hurt emotionally. He had not only hurt Ray, but he had gone ballistic in front of Oscar, who was only 7. Egon then leaned against a brick wall and sank to the ground. Tears began falling down his face. He felt alone, rejected, and unwanted. Egon then realized he was still the lonely, unwanted, unloved, and rejected child he had once been. He then let out a sob.

Rain began to fall as the emotionally hurt Ghostbuster cried his heart out.

* * *

The next morning, the other were still asleep. They had all slept at the firehall as they were all still in shock at what happened last night. Just then, there was a knock on the door.

"Coming.." Peter grumbled as he walked toward the door. He opened it. Standing there was Special Agent Melanie Ortiz, who was the FBI liaison to the Ghostbusters.

"Oh hi Mel." Peter said, "What are you doing here?"

"I had just decided to drop by New York and see if y'all need any help." Mel replied.

"Oh thanks." Peter said as Mel walked in.

"Guys, Mel's here." Peter said.

"Oh, hi Melanie, how you doing?" Winston asked as he woke up.

"Good." Mel replied, "By the way, where are Dr. Stantz and Dr. Spengler?"

"Well, that's the problem." Janine said, "You remember when Ray got trapped in that building fire on a bust a few months ago?"

"Yeah, why?" Mel asked.

"Well, Ray's become addicted to pain pills." Jenny said.

"What?" Mel asked looking shocked.

"Yeah, we went through his drawers yesterday to see how much of the stuff he had, and he found out and went ballistic." Peter said.

"Yeah, Dr. Stantz yelled at Dana and Oscar, and got into a fight with Dr. Spengler." Kylie added.

"Whoa! Dr. Spengler and Dr. Stantz got into a fight?!" Mel exclaimed, "I thought they usually get along."

"Well, Ray yelled at us, and that made Egon mad, and he and Ray began yelling at each other." Janine explained, "And Ray said something very personal to Egon, and Egon went ballistic and tried to strangle Ray to death."

"Oh God." Mel said shaking her head, "Dr. Spengler went ballistic on Dr. Stantz?"

"Yeah, and after he realized what he did, Egon ran out the door, and Ray went upstairs and locked himself in the bedroom." Jenny said.

"And apparently, Egon's been out on the streets all night." Winston said, "I hope he's ok."

"Dang. Seems like I've come at a bad time." Mel said, "I can leave if y'all need me to."

"No Mel, we might some help around here just in case if Egon and Ray go at each other again." Peter said.

He then yawned, "Sorry guys, I didn't sleep good last night. I finally fell asleep around 4:00 this morning."

"It's fine, what kept you up, man?" Winston asked.

"It's just this whole situation with Ray." Peter said, rubbing his head, "I just can't believe how much he's changed on those stupid pills."

"Yeah, it's like we don't even know him anymore." Jenny said.

"I don't even know who I am anymore either Jenny." said a voice.

The 2 Ghostbusters and the women turned around to see Ray walking down the stairs. He was still dressed in his jumpsuit, his hair was messed up, and his eyes were red and puffy with dark circles under them Also, on Ray's neck were some bruises from when Egon strangled him.

It looked like Ray hadn't slept at all either. But there were also what looked like dried tears on his face like he had been crying.

To be continued...


	6. Remorse

Chapter 6-Remorse

"Well, good morning Ray." Peter said sarcastically and a little mean, "It's nice to see you're not yelling at us anymore like you did last night."

Ray felt hurt by the comment. He wanted to lash out, but after what had happened the night before, he decided not to.

"Peter, apologize!" Winston exclaimed.

"No Winston, I deserved it." Ray said in a groggy and tired voice. It was obvious he hadn't slept.

"No snappy comeback?" Janine said.

"Relax everyone, I'm not going to say anything insulting or hurt anyone." Ray said, "In fact, you should insult me, hit me, and fire me."

"Fire you? For what?" Jenny asked.

"For my behavior, me taking the pills, me lying to Dr. Madison and all of you, yelling at Dana and Oscar, snapping at my girlfriend, fighting with and badly insulting Egon." Ray said. His eyes began to glisten. "Heck, I think my insult was worse then the one Peter said to Egon before Peck abducted him."

"No kidding..." Peter muttered under his breath. Kylie then elbowed him hard.

"Doc..." Kylie said glaring at Peter.

"I'm very truly sorry for what I did." Ray said. He was starting to get choked up. "I refused to believe I have a problem, but I do. I really do have a problem. I can understand if you guys want to fire me and throw me out. And go ahead and disown me cause I deserve it. But I need help. I really need help."

Ray felt his legs get heavy as he fell to the floor and cried. This reminded Peter, Winston, and Janine of when Egon confessed that Ray's accident was his fault even though it wasn't. They all felt bad. And they knew that Ray had meant every word he had said.

Winston knelt down beside Ray and rubbed his shoulder and said: "Ray, we're not going to fire you, and we're not going to disown you."

"Yeah sweetie." Jenny said as she knelt down next to her boyfriend, "I knew you didn't mean what you said. I knew that it was something you couldn't control. And I forgive you."

"Yeah Dr. Stantz." Kylie said, "And of course we'll help you. After all, you're like a second father to me. And I don't want to lose that."

"Nor do I. And you're like a daughter to me." Ray said. He was pretty touched by Kylie's words.

"And Ray, I am pissed at the way you scared Dana and Oscar like that, but I would never turn my back on you."

"Yeah, you're the heart of the Ghostbusters. We need you." Janine said.

Yeah, the Ghostbusters would incomplete without you." said Mel.

"I know, I know, but I still insulted Egon." Ray said, "I mean, he and I have never fought before."

"We always knew it would happen someday, but we still can't believe he actually tried to choke you." Winston said.

"I deserved it." Ray said.

However, Peter, Winston, Janine, Jenny, Kylie, and Mel were all so busy at comforting Ray, and Ray was looking down at the ground, that they didn't notice the front door to the firehall opened. A figure walked through the door and closed it quietly. The figure then walked very quietly over to the guys.

"But still, I insulted Egon and made him go ballistic when I should've remembered not to piss him off." Ray said still shedding tears, "I still need to go."

"No Ray, you're not that needs to go. I am." said a familiar, deep man's voice.

The others turned around and saw Egon standing there, but he didn't look so good. In fact, he probably looked worse than Ray. His clothes and hair were soaked, and water was dripping off them and forming puddles. Apparently, it had been raining the entire night. It looked like he hadn't slept either because there were dark circles under his eyes as well. He was shaking a bit, either from being cold or trying to hold back emotions. And he looked paler then usual.

"Egon! Where the heck have you been?!" Peter exclaimed as he ran up to his friend.

"That's none of your concern Peter." Egon said in an equally sounding groggy voice as Ray's.

"Egon, you're soaking wet man!" Winston exclaimed, "Have you been out there in the rain all night?!"

"None of your concern." Egon repeated.

"Yes it is Egon." Janine said, "You're soaking wet and-"

That's when they all noticed Egon's eyes. Like Ray's, they were red and bloodshot as well. And the usual iciness in his blue eyes wasn't there. And like Ray, there were dried tears on Egon's face. The others were wondering if he had been crying all night.

"Egon, what do you mean you're the one that needs to go?" Ray asked as he got up off his knees and walked over to his friend, "Buddy, what's wrong?"

"Ray, the truth is..." Egon started. He figured it was time they all knew it, "The truth is...it's my fault you're addicted to your pain medication!"

"Dr. Spengler, what do you mean?" Mel asked.

"It's my fault you're addicted to pain pills Ray! If I had just watched where I was going and not be clumsy and stupid, you wouldn't have gotten stuck and injured in that fire. You started taking the pills to get rid of the pain I had caused. But instead, you got even more pain." Egon said. His eyes were tearing up, and he was shaking. "And last night, I went ballistic and tried to kill you Ray. Heck, I even went ballistic in front of Oscar! I've almost killed you three time, and that's something I can't atone for!"

Egon then collapsed to the ground and cried. Ray was shocked, horrified, and just hurt to see his best friend cry. And he realized that the hurtful remark he had said about being disowned to Egon had hurt him. Really bad. And Ray had not realized that Egon still felt guilty.

"Oh Egon, no!" Ray said as he knelt down and wrapped his arms around his distraught friend, despite Egon being soaked from head to toe. "The accident wasn't your fault, and it's not your fault I have an addiction. And I'm sorry about last night. I should've known better than to make you mad."

"Yeah, but still. I could've killed you!" Egon exclaimed as tears ran down his face, "And you were right Ray."

"Right about what?" Ray asked as he rubbed Egon's back.

"I truly am a scientist with no emotions who can't do anything right. And you guys were wrong. I truly am a mistake" Egon said.

"Oh Egon, no you're not!" Ray exclaimed as he hugged Egon tighter, "You're so not a no emotion scientist who can't do anything right, and you're so not a mistake. You're my best friend and my brother. You're also the nicest, kindest, smartest, and most selfless person I have ever met. Plus you're only person who really understands what I'm saying. Face it Egon, you're what makes me not to turn and run when things look bad. You're kind of what holds us together, and I can't imagine a life without you."

Egon had calmed down a bit, but he was still crying, "Really?" he asked.

"Yeah, really." Ray said with a bit of a smile. He then hugged Egon trying to comfort him, but then he realized how much Egon was shaking and shivering.

"But Janine's right Egon. You're soaking wet and you're shivering." Ray said worriedly, "Come on, let's go upstairs."

"Why?" Egon asked as he shakily stood up.

"I want you to get out those wet clothes, and I have to make sure you didn't catch anything contagious or bad." Ray said, "I want to make sure you're ok."

"Alright." Egon said. He then coughed a little deeply.

"Let' hope you're not catching a cold, or even worse, pneumonia." Ray said as he walked toward the stairs, "Winston, can you help me for a second?"

"Sure." Winston replied.

"Hey Jenny, I'm really sorry for snapping at you." Ray said as he walked up to his girlfriend, "Go ahead and dump me cause I deserve it."

"Heck, no." Jenny said, "I am so not dumping. Like I said, you're stuck with me."

"I know, I know, how can I forget?" Ray asked as he and Jenny kissed on the lips, "And I want to get off these pills. I really do."

"We know you do. And we'll help you." Mel said.

"Thanks guys." Ray said, "C'mon Egon, let's go. The last thing I need right now is you getting sick."

"Yes sir." Egon said a little teasingly as he, Ray, and Winston walked toward the stairs.

Once they were upstairs, Peter said, "I should've known Egon still blamed himself for the accident."

"Well, Dr. Spengler is a very private person. And a person who doesn't share his feelings too often." Kylie said.

"But Peter, it's possible he'll still have a little bit of guilt for the rest of his life. So, don't be hard on him." Jenny said.

"C'mon, let's go upstairs and see if Ray and Winston need any help with Egon." Mel suggested.

"Yeah, and let's just hope Egon didn't get sick cause he was out in the rain all night." Peter said.

"Yeah, and we don't need that right now. And let's hope he didn't get pneumonia." said Janine.

Peter, Kylie, Mel, Jenny, and Janine then all headed upstairs to make sure their 2 distraught and emotionally hurt team members were ok.

To be continued...


	7. Trying to Change

Chapter 7-Trying to Change

Meanwhile upstairs, Ray and Winston were busy looking over Egon to make sure he didn't catch anything bad or contagious. Egon seemed to be ok, but Winston and Ray wanted to keep an eye on him, just to be safe. Ray then thought it would be good for Egon to take a hot shower to warm up.

"So, how is he?" Peter asked.

"He seems to be ok, but we're gonna keep in eye on him just in case." Winston replied.

"Where is he?" Janine asked

"He's in the shower. That should warm him up." Ray replied, "I also want him to get a little sleep."

"Ray, I think you should get some sleep as well." Jenny said.

"Why?" Ray asked.

"Did you sleep at all last night?" Mel asked.

"No." Ray replied, "It was after I came into the bedroom. I thought about what had happened, and I finally realized what I done. I basically cried the entire night. I was too upset to even go to sleep."

"Well, you need some sleep." Kylie said, "You and Dr. Spengler both."

"Both what?" Egon asked as he came in the living room. He was dressed in some dry clothes and was drying his hair off with a towel.

"You two both need some sleep. Did you get any sleep last night, despite being outside?" Janine asked.

"No, I was too upset as well. I cried the entire night, despite it raining pretty hard." Egon said, "It was pretty lonely. And it wasn't until like after 6:30 this morning when I had finally calmed down enough to come back here."

"I cried all night too." Ray said, "I had finally realized what I had done and said, and I just cried for hours and didn't even get any sleep."

"Well, you two need some sleep." Winston said, "It's not gonna do you guys any good if you don't get some sleep."

"Ok." Egon said as he headed into the bedroom.

"Go get some sleep now." Jenny said with a smile.

"Yes m'am." Ray said as he kissed Jenny on the forehead.

Ray then followed into the bedroom. He then saw Egon and decided to apologize.

"Hey Egon? I'm really sorry for what I said last night. I really didn't mean it." Ray said.

"It's ok." Egon replied, "And sorry for trying to kill you."

"S'ok. I deserved it." Ray said.

"No, you didn't. You were having some problems, and I happened to make them worse." said Egon.

"No, I happened to bring up something you don't like talking about." Ray said.

"It's fine. People have said worse stuff to me." Egon said.

"You forgive me?" Ray asked.

"Apology accepted." Egon said.

"Thanks. Now I might crash for a bit."

"Me too." Egon replied.

The two didn't think they were that tired, but as soon as their heads hit their pillows they passed out.

* * *

A little while later, Ray and Egon woke up and joined the others. They looked a little better now that they had gotten some sleep.

"Well, that's a start." Janine said, "You two look a lot better."

"Thanks. And we feel better." Ray replied.

"Yeah." Egon said.

Just then, the phone rang. Janine answered it. She listened to what the caller was saying and wrote down a location. She the hung up.

"We got a call, guys." She said.

"Ray, are you sure you'll be able to focus this time?" Winston asked.

"I'll be fine Winston." Ray assured.

"Ok. We're gonna trust you on this." Peter said.

The 4 Ghostbusters then changed into their jumpsuits and drove to the location, which was an office building. When they got inside, they saw 4 Class 3 poltergeists running around and making a mess. And people were running around and screaming.

The 4 then began trying to catch the troublemakers. Thankfully, Peter, Winston, and Egon were seeing that Ray had more focus and control of his pack, and his wand was on a higher level then it had been lately. Ray was starting to come back to his old self.

After a while, the ghosts were caught, and the office manager paid the four for their work. Once they got outside, they placed the traps in the back of Ecto-1.

"How are you holding up Ray?" Peter asked.

"I'm doing ok." Ray replied, "My right ankle is killing me though. But I'm trying not to think about it."

"But you're doing really good." Egon said.

"Thanks." Ray said with a small smile.

The four then drove back to the firehall. Ray, who was in the front passenger seat, then snapped, "Winston, why the heck is the heat on so high?! It's feels like an oven in here!"

"I don't have the heat on Ray." Winston said, "If you don't believe me, look."

Ray then looked on the dashboard and saw that the heat was indeed off.

"Oh, sorry Winston." Ray said.

"It's fine." Winston replied.

"I think you're just feeling the pain of trying to withdraw from the pills." Egon said.

"Maybe." Ray said.

"You've come this far to withdrawing, so keep it up." Peter said, "Remember what we talked about."

"I know, I know. And I hope." Ray said.

Thankfully, there were no more calls that day. However, Ray had two more outbursts. The first was when Peter had interrupted him and made him lose focus. And the second was when Egon dropped an issue of Tobin's Spirit Guide, and Egon gave Ray the death glare while trying to keep his temper under control.

The others were seeing that both Egon and Ray were trying to keep their tempers under control cause they didn't want to risk getting into another fight. And Ray also had another crying spell, but Jenny thankfully was able to get him to calm down.

Around 5 o'clock, Janine, Kylie, and Jenny left for the day. However, it had been raining all day. And the gentle rain then turned into a storm.

The 4 Ghostbusters then shared a frozen pizza together, although Peter wasn't a fan of it. Later on, Peter, Ray, and Winston went to watch a movie while Egon went to work in the lab.

After a while, Ray said he had to use the bathroom and he got up. A short time later, Egon joined Peter and Winston.

"Where's Ray?" Egon asked.

"He went to use the bathroom." Peter replied.

"Actually, that was 10 minutes ago." Winston said looking at his watch.

"I'll go check on him." Egon said as he headed toward the bathroom.

To be continued...

 **Author's note: Hey y'all, I'm so sorry this wasn't up sooner. My creativity has been very dry lately and I've been busy. But anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter. Peace out!**


	8. Falling Back

Chapter 8-Falling Back

Egon went to the bathroom door and knocked. He called Ray's name, but he didn't respond.

"Ray, are you ok?" Egon asked.

There was no answer.

"Ray?" Egon called again.

And again, no answer.

Egon then opened the door to find the bathroom empty. Egon's eyes widened as he realized something.

"Oh no!" Egon said as he rushed into the bedroom where he found Ray wrestling with the drawers on his nightstand, which had been shut with padlocks.

"Oh come on, you stupid drawer!" Ray yelled, not knowing that Egon was behind him, "Open already!"

"Ray, what are you doing?" Egon asked.

"I need the pills!" Ray yelled.

"No you don't." Egon said, "You're doing just fine without them. You can make it."

"No I can't!" Ray yelled, "I need them, but some idiot locked the drawer up! Peter, Winston, you did this didn't you?!"

"Peter and Winston have nothing to do with this Ray." Egon said, "It was me."

Ray stopped messing with the drawer and faced Egon. "Why did you do this to me Egon?! Why?!"

"It was for your own good Ray!" Egon exclaimed. He was starting to get riled up again, "I did it so you wouldn't be tempted!"

Ray then rushed over and grabbed Egon by his shirt collar and shook him violently. "Give me the key! Open the drawer! I need the pills!"

"Ray, control yourself!" Egon yelled as he slapped Ray hard across the face.

Ray then let go and grabbed his face.

Egon was in shock at what he just did. "Ray, I'm so sorry. I lost my cool for a minute."

Ray rubbed the throbbing side of his face and snarled, "You idiotic, no-good scientist."

Egon was hurt at what Ray said to him. He tried to say something, but then Ray charged at him and knocked him to the ground.

"Why would you do this to me?!" Ray yelled. He tried to keep Egon on the ground, but Egon was stronger than him.

"Guys! Help! It's Ray! Get me out of here!" Egon yelled.

"Shut up you worthless, no-good freak!" Ray yelled as he slapped Egon hard across the face. Egon then scratched Ray hard across his face as well. Just then, Peter and Winston ran in.

"Alright, break it up, break it up!" Winston yelled as he pulled Ray off Egon, and Peter helped Egon up while trying to hold him back as well.

"What's going on here?" Peter asked.

"That idiot locked up my pills!" Ray screamed as he pointed at Egon.

"Egon, you did what?" Winston asked.

"Earlier before we went out on that bust, I came up here to put locks on the drawers so Ray wouldn't be tempted." Egon explained, "And I'm sorry, but I did it for his own good!" He then turned and faced Ray, who had calmed down, "And I'm sorry for hitting you and scratching you!"

"Egon, you hit Ray?" Peter said.

"Yeah, then he hit me after he pinned me down, and I scratched him across the face." Egon replied.

"Egon, you're bleeding!" Ray said.

"You're bleeding too Ray." said Egon.

The two then looked in the mirror. Egon had blood trickling from his nose and lip, and Ray had blood dripping from several deep scratches on his face. Ray then fell to the ground and broke down crying.

"Go clean your face." Winston told Egon, who then went into the bathroom. Peter was next to Ray trying to get him to calm down.

"What have I done?!" Ray said in between sobs, "I hit my best friend just for some stupid pills?!"

"It's ok Ray. You didn't mean to." Peter said while trying to get Ray to calm down. He then got a tissue to wipe the blood off of Ray's face.

"Try to get Ray relaxed, and I'll talk with Egon." Winston said as he headed toward the bathroom. Egon was standing in front of the mirror wiping the blood off his face. And his eyes were full of unshed tears.

"That was one heck of a move you made there, man." Winston said.

"Hitting and scratching Ray or locking the pills up?" Egon asked.

"Both actually." Winston replied, "Was it a trust issue? You didn't believe Ray could make it?"

Egon let out a sigh and said, "I do believe in Ray. It was just that I was scared."

"Scared of what?" Winston asked as he gripped Egon's shoulder.

"Knowing that those pills are there. What if he starts using them again? What if he...he..." Egon's voice trailed off as tears began falling down his face and his back beginning to heave.

"We almost lost Ray twice because of me." Egon said, "I caused him to end up in the hospital, get addicted to painkillers, and I almost strangled him to death last night, and I scratched him. That's four times I've hurt him. I can't risk hurting him again because of my mistakes. It's my fault."

Winston wrapped his arms around his distraught friend and hugged him, "Buddy, it's not your fault. And I know you had good intentions on helping Ray, but it's his choice if he wants to get off the pills. We just have to be here to keep him on the right track."

"But I just don't want to lose Ray because of my mistakes and my stupidity." Egon said, tears still running down his face, "I want to protect him so I don't kill him."

"You won't." Winston said, "And the fire wasn't your fault."

"You guys keep telling me that, but I don't believe." said Egon, "I don't know if I'll ever believe it."

"You will someday." Winston said rubbing Egon's back to get him to calm down, "Come on, go apologize to Ray. I'm sure you two will both feel better."

Egon and Winston walked back into the bedroom where Peter was sitting on the bed with a slightly calmer Ray next to him.

"Ray, I'm really sorry for locking up the pills and scratching you across the face." Egon said, "I guess I can't control my own temper."

"No, I'm sorry Egon." Ray said, "I shouldn't have hit you over some stupid pills. And what I said was not true. You're not a freak. You're my best friend. And you were right to lock up the pills."

"No I wasn't. I was treating you like a child. And sorry for punching and slapping you across the face." Egon said remorsefully.

"It's fine. I deserved it." Ray said.

"Ray, I do really believe you can fight your habit." Egon said as he sat down next to Ray.

"Me too. But Egon, I have to say this right now, but you can punch really good. Heck, better than me." Ray remarked with a small smirk.

A small smirk appeared on Egon's face as well. "Thanks, I think."

Peter and Winston smirked as well and snickered a little. All of a sudden, thunder clapped loudly outside, along with a bolt of lightning, which caused the power to go out.

To be continued...

 **Author's note: Hey everyone, sorry for the late update. My computer had been acting up and I couldn't get into anything. But anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Peace out!**


	9. A Call for Help, Braving his Demons

"Damn it. The power's out." Winston said.

"Hey at least the city can't blame on us again." Peter said.

"I've got a flashlight in my drawer." Ray said, "Egon, I need the key. You've got to trust me on this."

"Ok." Egon said as he walked over to his nightstand, opened the drawer and took out a key.

"Thanks." Ray said as he unlocked the locks, reached in and found the flashlight and turned it.

"Thanks Ray." Winston said.

"I have to go see if the generator is working properly." Egon said.

"I'll go call Dana and Oscar and see if they're ok." Peter said.

"I'll do the same with Jenny and Kylie." Ray said, "And Janine and Mel."

The four men headed downstairs and grabbed some more flashlights and candles, and while Egon and Winston headed down to the basement to check on the containment unit and the fuse box, Peter and Ray tried calling Dana, Jenny, and Kylie from the phone in the car. Ray called Jenny, Kylie, Janine and Melanie, and thankfully the four of them hadn't lost power and they were all ok.

After Ray hung up, he handed the phone to Peter. Peter then dialed Dana's phone number.

"Hello?" said the voice.

"Dana, it's Peter." Peter said.

"Hey, are you ok?" Dana asked.

"Yeah, the guys and I are fine." Peter said, "We lost power, so I'm calling from the car. Winston and Egon are working right now to get it back on. How are you?"

"We're fine. We didn't lose power." Dana replied, "By the way, how's Ray?"

"A little rough today, and so was Egon, but they're both doing pretty good." Peter replied.

"Good." Dana said, "Hold on a second..."

There was a pause for a minute before Dana's voice was heard again, "Sorry about that. Oscar's sick."

"Is he ok?" Peter asked.

"He has a cold, and unfortunately I'm out of kids' cold medicine and I don't want to give him any adult stuff." Dana replied.

"Do you need me to run out and get him some?" Peter asked.

"Yes, I don't want to leave him alone, but I don't want to drag him with me." Dana replied

"Ok, I'll go get it. Love you." Peter said.

"Love you too." Dana said as the two hung up

* * *

"Everything alright?" Ray asked.

"Dana's building didn't lose power, but Oscar's sick and Dana doesn't have the medicine for him." Peter replied.

"I'll drive you." Ray said.

"Ray, are you sure you're up for it?" Peter asked.

"Positive, plus you haven't renewed your license after what happened last time." Ray replied.

"Oh right." Peter said.

"The generator is working fine, but we still need to get the fuse box working." Egon said as he and Winston came upstairs.

"What are y'all doing?" Winston asked as he saw Ray and Peter getting into Ecto-1.

"Oscar's sick and Dana doesn't have the medicine for him." Ray replied, "I'm taking Peter to get some."

"Ray are you sure you'll be able to handle this?" Egon asked.

"Positive, please, you have to trust me." Ray said.

Winston and Egon looked at each other for a moment before finally giving in. "Ok, we're giving you a chance Ray, but if something happens, you're not driving again until you get over this." Winston said.

"I promise." Ray said, "You two stay here and keep working on the fuse box." The two Ghostbusters then pulled out the garage and headed off into the storm.

"I hope Ray can do this." Winston said.

"Me too." Egon said.

* * *

Rain poured down in buckets as Peter and Ray drove through the street. Lightning lit up the sky, and thunder boomed above as the duo tried to find a drugstore.

"Man, this is ridiculous!" Peter exclaimed.

"I know, but we'll get through this." Ray reassured.

The two drove for a little more before finding a 24-hour pharmacy. Ray parked the park in front.

"I'll be right back." Peter said as he got out and ran inside before he drenched.

As Ray waited, the stiffness in his ankle flared a little, along with some pain in his head.

"I can make it, I can make it, I can make it.." Ray said as sweat beaded on his forehead as he fought temptation.

Just then, Peter came out with what he was looking for and got in the car.

"Got it." Peter said, triumphantly.

"Good." Ray said.

"You ok? Did you have an urge?" Peter asked.

"Yeah, but I got it under control." Ray replied.

"You sure?"

"Yeah."

Ray turned on the car, and the two headed off to Dana's apartment. The rain was thankfully beginning to let up, and 20 minutes later, Peter and Ray pulled up to Dana's apartment.

The car phone then rung, and Peter answered it. It was Egon telling him that he and Winston fixed the fuse box and got the electricity working again. Peter said that he and Ray were at Dana's apartment to drop off Oscar's medicine. Peter hung up, and the two Ghostbusters headed inside. Since the elevator wasn't working, the two had to take the stairs.

"Man, I gotta get in shape." Peter complained as he and Ray walked up the stairs.

"I'm sure." Ray said with a smirk, "And I feel fine and my leg isn't hurting.

"I don't care." Peter said with a sarcastic tone.

The two then reached Dana's floor and walked down the hall to her apartment. Peter knocked at the door, and Dana opened it.

"Got what you needed." Peter said holding the medicine.

"Thanks Peter." Dana said before turning to Ray, "Hey Ray, how are you?"

"I'm doing ok." Ray replied.

"Mom, where are you?" called a nasally sound voice.

"I'm coming honey." Dana called, "Peter and Ray got here with some medicine for you."

The three of them headed down the hall to Oscar's room to find him lying in bed with flushed cheeks and a runny nose. A box of tissues were on his nightstand.

"Hey Peter, Ray." Oscar said with a sniffle.

"Hey, little dude." Peter said, "Sorry you're not feeling well.

"It's ok." Oscar replied.

"Hey Oscar, sorry about scaring you last night." Ray said.

"It's fine. Mom said you weren't feeling well, I forgive you." Oscar said.

"Thanks." Ray said with a smile.

Dana opened the bottle and measured out the amount of medicine required for Oscar's age. She gave the little cup to Oscar and he drank it.

"Thanks guys." Oscar said.

"You're welcome. You get some rest, and we'll check up on you in the morning." Ray said.

"You need anything else?" Peter asked.

"No, we're ok. But thanks for the medicine." Dana said.

"You're welcome." Ray and Peter said.

The two Ghostbusters left and headed back to the firehall. As the two were getting out of Ecto-1, Egon and Winston came up from the basement.

"Hey, how's Oscar?" Winston asked.

"He's doing a lot better now." Peter replied.

"You doing ok, Ray?" Egon asked.

"Yeah, although I had an urge when Peter was in the pharmacy." Ray said, "My head and my leg were killing me. But thought about Oscar and it made me forget about it. And after all I did, I don't deserve your support."

"No Ray, you deserve our support, no matter what you did." Winston said.

"And once again, I'm sorry for strangling you and scratching you." Egon said, "I guess I need to learn to control my temper a little better."

"Well, we both have something to work on." Ray said with a smile, "And speaking of which, there's something else I need to do."

"What?" Peter asked.

"Come on." Ray said.

The four went upstairs to the bedroom, and Ray went over to his nightstand, took out the drawer, and emptied the pill bottles into the garbage can.

"There, I got phase one out of the way." Ray said.

"What's phase two?" Egon asked.

"I'm gonna call Dr. Madison in the morning to see if the hospital has a counseling center." Ray replied.

"Good idea." Winston said.

"I just hope I can survive." Ray said.

Peter put his arm around Ray and said, "Ray, we've battled Sumerian gods, a walking marshmellow, got kidnapped by a group of demons, met interdimensional versions of ourselves, and a whole lot of other dangerous, stupid, and crazy stuff, of course you can survive this."

"Yeah, I guess I can." Ray said with a smile.

The End.

 **Author's Note: Finally, I thought I'd never get this done!" Sorry for the super long update. I've been busy with graduating from eight grade, to summer camp, to starting high school, and writer's block. But I hope y'all enjoyed this! Peace out!**


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